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| New ZF 6-Speed Manual Gives Drivers Ultimate Control Of Vortec 8100 And Duramax Diesel 6600 Power |
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Autoworld.com - Joey Ho
- Having the power on hand and not being able to thoroughly harness
its use is frustrating, time consuming and just plain inefficient.
With the new ZF-S6-650 6-speed manual transmission, standard on the
2500HD and 3500 with either up-level engine, those concerns have been very
effectively allayed. Get A Quick Quote Here The Vortec 8100 and Duramax Diesel 6600 powerplants will have an advantage over the competition, not only in their abundance of power and torque, but also in the way they go about applying both. The ZF 6-speed is a high –capacity transmission, designed to easily handle the high torque/power requirements of GM’s new engines and the high load capacities of the new Silverado/Sierra ¾-ton and 1-ton models.  -Autoworld.com It is fully synchronized for smooth shifting in all gears, and has dual cone synchronizers in second and third gears, which provide extra capacity for upshifts or downshifts when the truck is working hardest. The ZF S6-650 has the potential to handle GCW’s of up to 26,000 pounds, which extend into the medium-duty truck range. (It will, in fact, be used in some future GM Class 6-7 models). In essence, Silverado/Sierra customers get the ruggedness and durability of medium-duty transmission design in ¾-ton and 1-ton trucks. It easily handles the 12,000 pound maximum GVW and 22,000 pound maximum GCW of the new heavy-duty trucks. Having a sixth forward gear allows the ZF S6-650 to have smaller gear ratio steps than would be possible with a five-speed manual. Generally speaking, smaller gear steps smooth out the shifts of any transmission and allow higher engine rpm’s after each upshift, which translates into higher usable torque. While stronger and more durable than the GM NVG 4500 5-speed, the ZF S6-650 has a lighter weight and more compact design, which allows it to be more efficiently packaged. This is primarily due to its all-aluminum main case and higher helix angle gearset. The gearset allows the gears to operate more quietly by angling them for better, multiple gear contact. An integral front bell housing makes the transmission assembly a much stiffer until, further contributing to noise suppression. Improvements to the GM version of the same ZF S6-650 used by other OEMs give it many advantages such as a firmer shift lever and quieter operation via an extra bushing in the metal rail socket on which the stub lever rides (a small amount of noise and vibration occurs from the metal-to-metal contact between the stub lever and rail socket as the gears turn. GM bored-out the main shift rail socket and added the bushing to eliminate this irritant). Plus, there’s the use of synthetic fluid, which never needs changing and eliminates the need for and auxiliary cooler, thereby increasing reliability, cutting initial costs and reducing possible later service expenses. The Vortec 8100 and Duramax Diesel 6600 are strong incentives to commercial truck purchasers. When mated with the new transmission offerings, the results are world class powertrain combinations that will put the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 2500HD/3500 pickups and chassis-cabs in an arena all by themselves. An arena into which the competition simply won’t have the credentials for entry. -Autoworld.com |
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